Woodward resigns from LPOSD

SANDPOINT — After seven years with the Lake Pend Oreille School District, Superintendent Shawn Woodward announced he will be moving on after the school year comes to a close.

Woodward told the Daily Bee on Monday that he has accepted a position as superintendent of the Mead School District in Washington as of July 1.

“I’m definitely ready for a new challenge and other opportunities,” Woodward said. “I am really proud of the work that we’ve done as a team over the years — again, I’m just ready for a new challenge.”

Woodward started his career as an educator in Washington 27 years ago, working for districts in Port Orchard, Burlington and Paulsbo. In coming to Idaho, Woodward said he always knew he would someday return to Washington, and when he came across the job in Mead, he said it “happened to be a really good fit.”

“When I looked at the challenges and the opportunities that were associated with the Mead School District job when it was posted, I felt like I had the skillset to make a difference there right away,” he said.

There are other reasons for decision to leave as well, Woodward said, including the need to go out for a levy every two years. It is “frustrating” for educators across the state, whether they are a superintendent, teacher, principal, or even a parent, to have to go through the process every other year to support public education, he said. It is not good for the stability or moral of the school district, Woodward said, and impacts the culture and climate of the community. It would help, he said, if the state would extend the amount of time districts can have between levies.

“I know this was considered at the state level this year, and it did not go through, but I definitely have hope for the future that that is going to be changed,” Woodward said.

During his time at LPOSD, the district has made strides in student learning and achievement, he said, embracing choice options for students and families. Experiential learning has been implemented across the district, and there is a focus on social-emotional learning in addition to academics, he said.

He implemented the Homeschool Academy, a growing and successful program that provides supplemental education for home-school students in grades K-8.

In addition, LPOSD is the first district in the state to have school-based mental health clinics, increasing access to mental health services through partnerships with outside providers.

The district recently developed “strong and focused” strategic priorities for the next four years as well.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the work we have done not just as a school district, but as a community, to really ensure that we have the proper supports in place to provide a really good education for our kids,” Woodward said.

“I also couldn’t be more proud of the staff that we’ve had over the years. They are a staff that believes so strongly in continuous improvement, always getting better and better and better, and I’ve never worked with a staff that was so willing to grow and improve on a daily basis. I have been thrilled to work in this kind of environment with that kind of mindset.”

Woodward said he was planning to meet with the LPOSD board chair and vice chair on Monday in regards to what the next steps are for finding a replacement.

The board will discuss the issue at an upcoming public meeting, and while the date for that meeting is to be determined, he said it will be soon.

“I would like to thank the community for the support that they have had, generally speaking, for someone who came in from the outside,” he said. “I was so warmly embraced by people here and supported … I so appreciate that.”

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.